Varsity Sports

Favorite topics

2009 MEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK REVIEW

A season full of highlights was punctuated by a pair of All-American performances at the NCAA Division III national meet at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio over the weekend of May 21-23. Senior Andy Kubiak (Bloomington HS, Bloomington, Ill.) put the finishing touches on a fine career by placing fifth in the 3000 meter steeplechase and freshman Phil Christensen (Kaneland HS, Maple Park, Ill.) signaled a promising beginning by taking sixth in the discus.

Kubiak, who won the steeplechase at the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin championship on May 2 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, ran the third fastest time in school history when he stopped the watches at 9:05.36. He trails just the school record of 8:58.04 set by national champion Sandu Rebenciuc in 1993 and the 9:02.73 of All-American Rob Jensen in 1981. It was a fitting end to Kubiak’s career.

A lot can happen in three years but if the final two weeks of the season are any indication, the future is very bright for Christensen. He placed sixth in the discus with a toss of 162’ 5”. His ascent up the top 10 ranks began on May 9 when he threw 155’ 0” to qualify for the national meet at the University of Chicago Penultimate. That throw was the 10th best in school history. On Thursday, May 14 he unleashed a throw of 168’ 11” at the Gregory Invitational in Naperville that moved him into second place on the all-time list. Less than 24 hours later he was back at it and this time he claimed one of the oldest school records on the books when he hurled the discus 170’ 8” at the Augustana Twilight Qualifier on Friday, May 15. That erased Dave Lingner’s 1981 mark of 170’ 4” from the record book.

While Kubiak and Christensen earned All-American honors, the season was full of good news for veteran head coach Paul Olsen and his team. The brand new Paul V. Olsen Track was dedicated on Saturday, April 18 after the conclusion of the Meet of Champions. The Vikings took second that day, losing only to Wisconsin-Stevens Point in the 13 team field.

Senior Ted McMillan (Erie HS, Cordova, Ill.) ended his stellar career with an injury plagued national meet where he failed to qualify for the finals in the 400 hurdles and did not make a height in the high jump. However, nothing can diminish what McMillan accomplished during his time wearing the Blue & Gold. He was a 12 time NCAA Division III All-American, including a two time national champion when he won the 400 hurdles and the high jump in the 2007 national meet.

McMillan won the high jump (6’ 9”) and the 110 high hurdles (:15.05) at the CCIW meet and he finished his career (indoor and outdoor) with a grand total of 18 conference titles. Those came in either individual or relay events. He won the 110 high hurdles and the 400 intermediate hurdles three times during his career and the high jump twice.

The Vikings did not repeat as CCIW team champion but they actually scored more points in the conference meet (246) than they did last year (240.5) when they won the first title since 1984. North Central won the team championship with 278.50 points. Augustana won a total of 10 events at the CCIW meet. Besides McMillan’s double victory in the highs and the high jump, Max Petersen (Mundelein HS, Mundelein, Ill.) and Darin Decker (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) also won two events apiece. Petersen took the 100 (:10.97) and 200 (:22.42) to become the first Vikings to win both sprint events since Kyle Poston turned the trick in 1997. Decker won the hammer (180’ 4”) and the discus (151’ 2”) and was second in the shot (48’ 9”). In addition, Decker was named the Most Outstanding Field Event Performer in the CCIW.

The 400 relay team of Petersen, James Wood (St. Charles North HS, St. Charles, Ill.), Marty King (Oswego HS, Oswego, Ill.) and Kyle Ekberg (Rockford Christian HS, Rockford, Ill.) took first with a time of :42.61 and the 1600 unit of Greg Davis (Carlinville HS, Carlinville, Ill.), Wood, Nick Borchert (Ankeny HS, Ankeny, Iowa) and Ekberg won in 3:18.09. Kubiak won the steeplechase in 9:24.30 and Davis won the 400 intermediate hurdles with a time of :54.99.

Augustana won the Early Spring Opener on March 21 with 424 points and came back nine days later to win the Viking Olympics with 402 points. The Vikings won the Wartburg Select meet on April 4, under brutal weather conditions, with 173.75 points in Waverly, Iowa. A week later, on April 11 in Macomb, Illinois, they were fifth at the Lee Calhoun Memorial Relays but they were the highest placing non-division one team in the 10 team meet. At the Meet of Champions on April 18 they were an impressive second as they “officially” christened the track named after long-time coach Paul Olsen.

Viking athletes qualified for the NCAA Division III national meet in a total of 10 events throughout the season. When it came time for the national field to be announced, however, only McMillan (400 hurdles and high jump), Decker (hammer), Christensen (discus) and Kubiak (steeplechase) were invited to the meet. The following athletes qualified but did not compete at nationals: Alex Stake (Willamstown HS, Sherman, Ill.) scored 6,208 points in the decathlon at the CCIW meet. Pat Zeunik (Bloomington Central Catholic HS, Bloomington, Ill.) hit the qualifying mark in the triple jump with a leap of 46’ 8 ½” at the Augustana Twilight Qualifier on May 15. McMillan qualified in the 110 high hurdles with a time of :14.81 at the Lee Calhoun Memorial Relays on April 11 but chose not to run that event at the national meet. Dan Bailey (Deerfield HS, Deerfield, Ill.) hit the national standard in the 10,000 with a 31:05.83 clocking on April 17 at the Meet of Champions. The 1600 meter relay team of Borchert, Wood, Davis and Ekberg qualified with a time of 3:15.32 at the Augustana Twilight Qualifier on May 15 and just missed making the field.

For the second consecutive year Augustana finished the season ranked number one in the NCAA Division III dual meet power rankings. When the final rankings came out after the national meet, however, the Vikings ended up second behind Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

Ekberg and McMillan shared the team’s MVP award for track events while Decker was named the MVP for field events.

AUGUSTANA TEAM FINISHESUSTFCCCA POWER RANKING: 1st in nation at end of regular season and 2nd after NCAA championship meetNCAA DIVISION III NATIONAL MEET: 44th in nationCCIW CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2nd place with 246 pointsTEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS: Early Spring Opener, 03/21/09; Viking Olympics, 03/30/09; Wartburg Select, 04/04/09; OTHER MEETS: Meet of Champions on 04/18/09 – second with 195 points in 13 team field; Lee Calhoun Memorial Relays on 04/11/09 – fifth with 115.5 points in 10 team field – Vikings were top non-division one school.